What's for Lunch? Royal Dragon Restaurant and Karaoke, Chinatown

tikichrisWhat's for Lunch? Royal Dragon Restaurant and Karaoke, Chinatown

Famished from our terribly long hiatus, we're back with the series that ponders that most pressing of daily concerns: where to go on your lunch break.

Chinatown. Throw a spring roll and you hit a restaurant. Londonist spun the lunchtime wheel of chance recently and opted for a dine at the long-established Royal Dragon. We're glad we did too, as a quick scan of the menu led to a speedily served gourmand feast as good as any within earshot and better than many Chinatown options.

Deep fried soft shell crabs with salt and chilli (£5.50 each) were an especially delicious starter. We'd return again for these. Sesame prawn toast (as highly recommended by our server, £4.50) not so much, and kinda greasy, but still pretty tasty. A massive main course of kung po style frogs' legs (£9.20) was perfectly devourable and definitely hot. A more tame dish of stir fried mixed seafood in XO sauce (£11.50) pleased as well. Steamed rice was fine. Jasmine tea was plentiful. A taro bubble tea (£3.50) for dessert would have made a commendable entry in our 2010 bubble tea tour of London.

Service was friendly if a little overbearingly helpful at times, and the menu offered an impressive you-name-it-we-cook-it read: duck's tongue, steak, mango pudding? Open until 3am with private function rooms and karaoke, Royal Dragon isn't just for lunch. But our experience suggests that's a suitably yummy time of day for a visit.

Royal Dragon is located at 30 Gerrard Street, W1D 6JS. Check 'em out online at www.rdklondon.co.uk.